Dual dampening and inking mechanism for planographic and analogous presses



Patented Dec. 28, 1937 UNITED STATES DUAL DAMPENING AND INKING MECHA-NISM FOR PLANOGRAPHIC AND GOUS PRESSES ANALO- John G. 'Goellike, SanAntonio, Tex. Application February 1, 1937, Serial No. 123,458

' 8 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 3700. G. 757) This invention described herein, if patented, may bemanufactured and used by or for the Government for governmentalpurposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates generally to the lithographic art, which is oneof the graphic arts and is a process of reproduction that is based onthe mutually repellent properties of substances such as grease and wateror oil and Water.

10 Since metal plates have become adapted to the lithographic processother names have been applied to the process such as planography,pianographic offset, photo ofiset, deep etch, etc.

Lithographic and offset inks are of a greasy l5. and oily nature and arewater repellent.

It has been normal practice to construct the presses used in this artwith separate and distinct distributing systems, one of which functionsas an ink distributor and the other as awater distributor.

The separate water distributing system has always been a destructiveelement to litho plate surfaces.

I have discovered and proved by careful tests that a unifieddistributing system for the dual purpose of distributing the mutuallyrepellent substances, ink and water, maintains the plate surface inperfect condition and eliminates the destructive efiect of the separatewater distributing system on the plate surface.

I accomplish this result by distributing the water with the same rollersthat distribute the ink and by feeding the water to these rollers bytaking advantage of the surface tension-of water and the difference inthe specific gravity of water and carbon tetrachloride.

A film of-water will adhere to the exposed surface of a partiallysubmerged roller revolving slowly in a water pan or trough. This film of0 water has a sufficient thickness to dampen the surface or depositwater on the surface of a. roller turning independently of the fountainroller if the independent roller is set close and in the same alignment.The setting of the independent roller is as close as permitted withoutactual contact. If the independent roller is carrying a coating of inkand set close some of the ink may gradually accumulate on the surface ofthe fountain roller. The fountain roller is a slow turning 50 roller andit is possible to revolve this roller in a trough the lower half ofwhich is filled with carbon tetrachloride therefore the carbontetrachloride would dissolve the ink oif the fountain roller surfaceand'as it revolved through water 55 in the upper half of the pan thissurface would again be. dampened. Therefore the effect obtained at thispoint is a slow revolving roller partially submerged in a trough andcarrying a. film of water which dampens the surface of a second rollerwhich may be travelling at a greater speed owing to the fact that therollers are set close without being in actual contact, and the surfaceof the fountain roller is passingv at each revolution through a lowerlayer of carbon tetrachloride for cleaning and an upper layer of waterii) for dampening. The independent roller of this set up is nowconnected in true alignment and close contact with a roller of the inkdistribution system which immediately is converted into adual purposedistribution system carrying ink 15 and water. At this point the tworollers in close contact govern the amount of water that is distributedand if water is visible at the point of contact it indicates thatsuflicient water is feeding for correct operation of the press.

Some of the rollers of the distribution are driven by gears and some bycontact and as this is apparent to anyone familiar with the art thedescription of the drive has been omitted to retain simplicity. It isapparent that if the rollers turn the distribution system will functionas illustrated. g

This method of water distribution by the samev rollers that accomplishthe ink distribution has. the effect of preserving the plate surface tosuch an extentv that unlimited editions may be obtained without a wearin the design or false tint in the background. 1

This method of water supply is positive and visible asthe two rollers intrue alignment and close contact that are set between the water fountainfeed roller and the balance of the distributing system always show waterat the line of contact. y

In order to understand my invention reference is bad to the accompanyingdrawing which is a diagram representing an .end view of the combined inkand water distribution system of anoffset press as itjis set to theplate cylinder. All the elements represented by this diagram arerotating rollers or cylinders with the exception of the water and inkfountains. Each element represented in the diagram is numbered forreference. Every roller in the distribution system is sensitive to inkon the surface.

The water trough l, contains a lower layer of carbon tetrachloride andan upper layer of water as sectioned ofi by lines shown. The water feedroller 2, revolvesat the required speed in water 'trough I, with apartially submerged surface which passes through the lower layer ofcarbon tetrachloride for cleaning and through the upper.

a contact of the water contact distributing roller 3, and the waterregulator distributing roller 4,

' form a reservoir and permit only the necessary film of water to passthat is rcquiredforoper ating the press while the visible water retainedat this point is evidence that suilicient water is being supplied. Thesurface tension of water permits this effect as it rolls at this pointvisibly as-a small bead from one-eighth to one quarter inch in diameterwithout spilling at the ends From water regulator distributing roller 4,the film of water is carried to rider 5, and from rider 5, to formroller 6, which contacts the plate surface on plate cylinder II, withwater and ink-and rider 1, and as the system revolves in the directionindicated .by the arrows the film of water charges the surface of theentire system such as form rollers 6-6, riders 1-1, connecting rollers8-8, drum 9, distributors |3l3, and when the water film reaches ductorlll, it is so fine it permits ductor ill, to deposit ink on drum 9, fromink fountain roller II, which turns in ink fountain l2. The entiresystem of distributing rollers from}, to l3, are completely charged withinkL- Having describedmy inventionwhat Iclaim as new and-wish to protectby Letters Patent is:

1. The method of inking and dampening printing surfaces of planographicandganalogous print-- ing members, which consists intransmitting waterfrom a sourcexof supply to an inking-mechanism, transmitting the watertogether with a film of ink to said printing member through said inkdistributing system, whereby an ink repelling coating of water will beapplied to the non-design portions of a printing surface and'ink will beap plied to the design portions of said surface.

2. In a printing press, the combination of a printing member, amechanism for applying ink to said'printing member and adampeningmechanism connected with said inking mechanism, said dampeningmechanism including a source of water supply and means for transmittingthe water from said supply to the inking mechanism.

3. In a printing press, the combination of a printing member, amechanism for applying ink to said member, a dampening mechanism con-.nected with said inking mechanism, said dampening mechanism com-prisinga source 'of water supply, a water feed roller mounted therein, meansfor transmitting the water from said feed roller to said inkingmechanism, and a cleanser for said feed roller provided in'said source.of water supply.

4. In a printing press, the combination of a printing member, amechanism for supplying ink to said member, a dampening mechanismconnected with said inking mechanism, said dampening mechanismcomprising a source of water supply, a water feed roller mountedtherein, means for transmitting the water from said feed roller to saidinking mechanism, a cleanser for said feed roller provided in saidsource of supply, said cleanser comprising carbon tetrachloride.

5. In a printing press,-the combination of a printing member, amechanism for applying ink to said member, a dampening mechanismconnected with said inking mechanism, said dampening mechanismcomprising a source of water supply, a water feed roller mountedtherein, a dis- ,tributing roller adapted to pick up by surface contactwater from said feed roller and means for transmitting the water fromsaid distributing roller to said inking mechanism.

6. In a printing press, the combination of a printing member, an inkingmechanism, including a source of ink supply, means for transmitting theink from said source of supply to said printing member, said meansincluding an ink distributing drum and ink rollers, a dampeningmechanism connected with said inking mechanism, said dampening mechanismcomprising a source of water supply, a water feed roller mountedtherein, a water distributing roller adjacent to said feed roller andadapted to pick up water from said feed roller by surface contacttherewith, a water regulator distributing roller in contact with saidwater contact distributing roller and a rider roller in contact with theink rollers of said ink distributing mechanism.

7. In a printing press, the-combination of a printing member, amechanism for applying ink to said membe a dampening mechanism connectedwith said inking mechanism, said dampening mechanism including a sourceof water supply, ,a water feed roller mounted therein, a water con tactdistributing roller adjacent to said water feed roller and adapted topick up water from said feed roller by surface contact therewith, awater regulator distributing roller in contact with said water contactdistributing roller, a rider roller in contact with said inkingmechanism, and a water reservoir formed distributing roller and saidwater regulator distributing roller. 7 I

8. In a printing press, the combination of, a

by said water contact printing member, an inking mechanism, including anink fountain, an ink roller in the fountain, an ink distributing drum,9, ductor roller for transferring the ink from said ink fountain rollerto the ink distributing drum, means for transferring the ink from saiddrum to said printing member,

- said means comprising ink rollers, including ink rider roller incontact with ink distributing-system.

